Apparatus for determining the moment of ignition in internalcombustion engines



May 18 1926. I 1,585,486

r R. M. GETCHELL APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE MOMENT OF IGNITION IN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES mun I ll May 18 9 ms 1,585 486 R. M. GETCHELL APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE MOMENT OF IGNITION IN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Dec. 14. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a o o Patented May 18, 1926 ROBERT enronnnr, or nAY'roN, onro.

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Application filed December 14, 1922. Serial No. 606,913.

This invention relates to an apparatus'for determining the exact moment'of ignitionin the cylinder of an internal combustion enme. a The .object ind-view isto provide simple, reliableand effective means for obtaining a record of the exact moment at which ignition takes place in the cycle of operation of an internal combustion engine. A further object in view is to provide means whereby the apparatus referred to may be adjusted to adapt the same to cylinders of difi'erent bores and piston strokes.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists'in -thenovel construction, combination andarrangement hereinocfore descr bed, illustrated :and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a sidefelevation of the improved apparatus y Figure 2 is a sezcion on the line AA of 'Figurel;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the device;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of an engine onwhich my invention is shown in use, the electrical connection-therefor in the engine ignition. circuit being also shown, and Figure 5 is a view-of an ignition indicator card or recordsheet produced by the use of my invention.

In carrying out'the object of the present invention in the simplest and most effective form thereof, I employ an adapter 1 which closely resembles the shell of a spark plug,

such as is now commonly employed in the ignition of internal combustion engines. The adapter 1 is intended to be screwed into the spark plug hole of the cylinder in the engine, takinlg1 the place of the ord nary spark plug for t e time being, as shown in Figure 4.

Passing through the adapter. 1 is an actuator 2 which consists of a lever, the same being mounted on a fulcrum pin 3 within the adapter 1v and having attached to the inner end thereof by means of a' screw other suitable pi'vot'device 4 an adjustable extension or arm 5. By adjusting the extension 5 in relation to the actuator 2, the device may beadapted to engines having dif ferent bores and piston throws.

Attached to the adapter 1 by means of a threaded union 6, is a frame or bracket 7 having parallel guides 8 between which 13- mounted a slide 9 adapted to reciprocate D backand forth'between the guides- 8 at a right angle to the axis of the adapter 1 as shown in Figure 1'. The slide 9 is connected to the actuator 2' by means of a pin 10, operating in a straight slot 10" in the bracke2, 7. The slide 9 carries at the opposite ends thereof cross guides 11, upon .which is mounted a transversely movable record sheet holder 12 consisting of. a rectangular plate'which is adapted to carry on the surface thereof arecord sheet 18.0f metallic paper, that is, paper treated with copper iodide or-ammonium nitrate solution or the I l1ke,'sa1d sheet being held on the plate 12 by means of spring clips 14' or any-other suitable means.- A typical record sheet is shown in Figure The plate 12 is formed with a cam slot- 15 which receivesand-cooperates with'a' pin 16 extending upwardly from-the frame? thru a. straight s1ot 16' in theslide 9. The slot 15 is curved o positely at the ends thereofso that the pin 16 rides against the straight side thereof on the up stroke and on the other side thereofon the down stroke, shifting the'plate sidewise by cooperation with the curved ends of the slot 15. By the -means described, the

sis

plate 12 and consequently the record sheet I 13 has a'compound movement or in other words it moves parallel with the guides 8 and also transversely with relationthereto.

This is done so that the record will be inscribed with .a continuous line 'having straight parallel side portions joined at the.

ends with a transverse curved portion for a purpose presently to appear. The slide-9 is moved in one direction by the actuator 2 and is returned by means of a spring 17, one end of which is attached to the actuator 2 and the other end, to the frame at 18. A bracket 19 is mounted fixedly on the frame 7 and insulated therefrom by a strip 20 ofinsulating material. Mounted on the bracket 19 by means of a pivot 21 is a stylus carrying arm 22. Fastened to the arm 22 by means of a hollow screw'23 is'jacstylus of steel or other metal which moves across the surface of therecord sheet 13 for the purpose of making a record thereon for determining the exact moment of ignitionin the internal combustion engine.=- ,-The arm 22 is tensionedby means of a spring25' adjustable' by ascrew 26. 27 designates a. 7

wire in the ignition circuit, which is norafter the exact dead center position of the 2 mally connected with the spark plug of the cylinder-beingtested but which is now connected to a binding post 28 on the bracket 19 by means of a nut 29. The wire 27 has connection with the ignition distributor shown at in Figure 4; whichtis connected with the engine spark plugs. 31 in the usual manner. e

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: When the piston moves upward on the compression stroke toward the cylinder head, it comes in contact with the extension arm 5 of the actuator 2, "causing said actuator to turn on its pivot 3. This causes the slide 9 to be moved in one direction against the tension of the return spring 17. At the mo-- ment of ignition,-'the current passes from the binding post 28 through the arm 22-and stylus 24 and through the metal paper record sheet 13, to the bracket 7 and adapter 1 where it. is grounded in the frameof the engine. When the spark occurs, it jumps the gap'in which the record sheet-is interposed and punctures the sheet. The puncture s very small and in the absence of the metallic :salts thereon wouldbe invisible except on holding the sheet to the light. Thetreatment of the paper makes it possible to read a the record without removing it, due to the same being discolored at the point where the spark occurred and punctured the sheet.

The record sheet is, of course, graduated or as shown in Figure 5 in suitable units ,of

measurement, thereby to indicate the exact 4 moment of ignition occurring in the 'cylin--' der being tested. The line .made by the stylus being straight up and down to correspond with the and down movements of the piston, and joined by a transverse curved portion where the piston is at the upper dead center position, the exact moment of ignition is readily determined since the puncture and. discoloration'will occur early orlate on the curve if the ignition occurs before or iston. -In'Figure 5 the sheet is shown as it 1s inscribed by the stylus and in this instance the puncture'represented at 32 is off the dead center point designated by the numeral 33.. The extent is expressed in terms of the travel of the piston, and is represented 'by the I distance between horizontal transverse lines thru the points 32 and 33, in the manner indicated-.. While the stylus has been described as composed of steel or other metal,-

may be used in place of metal,

'What I claim is- 1. Apparatus for determinin the moment of ignition in the cylinder .0 an. internal combustion engine, embodying recording means, and an actuator for operatingsaid recording means in direct contact with the engine. piston to be moved by. the engine piston...

other materials, such as carbon, for example,

2. Apparatus for determining the moment of ignition in the cylinder of an internal combustion engine, embodying recording means, and an actuator for said recording means in direct contact with the engine piston to be moved by the-engine piston, the recording means comprising a spark'gap, a

record sheet interposed in the spark gap,

and the engine ignition circuit in which saidspark gap and record sheet are included.

. 3. Apparatus for determining. the moment of ignition in the c'ylinde'r of an internal combustion engine, embodyingrecording means, and an actuator for said recording means in direct contact with the engine piston to be moved by the engine piston, the

recording means being included in and rendercd effective by the engine ignition circuit.

i.- Apparatus ior determining the moment of ignition in the cylinder of an internal combustion engine, embodying recording means an adapter insertable in the spark plug hole of the engine c'ylinder, andan actuator for the recording means'mounted on said adapter, said recording means being included in the engine ignition circuit.

' 5. Apparatus for determining the moment of ignition inthe cylinder of an internal combustion engine, embodying recording means,'and an actuator for said recording means adapted to be moved by the engine piston, the recording means being included in and rendered eiiective by the engine igni-l connected with thelengine ignition circuit replacing the spark plu in the spark plug opening of a cylinder 0 said engine having the electrical connection otherwise normally attached to said plug, for determining the moment of i 'ition'in said cylinder.

8. In combination with an engine, means replacmg a spark plug in a spark plug openmg of a cylinder of said engine for determining the moment of ignition in said cylinder, said means being operated by the piston in its u and down movements so as to determine t e moment of ignition in relation to the position of the piston at upper dead center.

9. In combination with an engine, means for determining the moment of ignition in iaa said engine comprising recording mechanism to be mounted in the spark plug opening'replacing the usual spark plu of a cylinder of said engine included in and rendered effective by the engine ignition circuit, said means being operated by the piston in its up and down movements so as to determine the moment of ignition in relation to the position of vthe piston at in its up and down movements.

11. An apparatus of the character described comprising recording means, an

adapter inserted inthe spark plug opening of an engine cylinder, and an actuator for said recording means mounted in said adapter extending into the engine cylinder for operation by the'piston in said cylinder in its up and down movements, said actuator I having an extension arm adjustably mount ed on the inner end thereon to occupy positions farther up or down inthe engine cylinder as respects the movements of the piston. I 1 I 12. A vdevice for recording-the operation of an engine cylinder connected in the electrical circuit of the engine and comprising an actuating device entered in the engine cylinder for operation by the piston in its up and down movements. v 13. In combination with an engine, a-support to be mounted in the cylinder wall, a rocker arm pivoted therein having one end extending into the cylinder above the piston for operation thereby, an indicator card carried by said support, andja periodic electric spark operated in time relation with the oscillation of said arm for making a record on said card.

14:. In combinatlon with an eng1ne,,a support to be mounted in the cylinder well,

an actuating member carried by said support extending into the engine cylinder with its inner end above the piston to be operated thereby, an indicatoricard carried by said support, and a periodic electric spark operated in time relation with the moving of sfid member'for making a record on said car I 15, In combination with an engine, a su 1 port to be mounted in the cylinder wal of said engine, an actuating member'carried by said support extending into'th'e engine cylinder with its inner end above the piston to be operated thereby, guides on said support, a slide reoiprocated in said guides by said actuating member, a record on said slide, and a stationary stylus operating on said. record.

16, In combination with an engine, a support to be mounted in the cylinder wall of said engine, an actuating member carried by said support extending into the engine cylinder'with its inner end above the piston to be operated thereby, guides on said support, a slide reciprocated in said guides by said actuating member, a record on said slide, and a stationary stylus operating on said record and having a connection in the ignition circuit in insulated relation to the record, to cause a spark to pass thru said record at the moment of ignition.

17. In combination with an engine, a support to be mounted in the cylinder Wall of said engine, an actuating member carried by said; support extending into the engine cylinder with its inner end above the piston to be operated thereby, guides on said support, a slide reciprocated in said guides by said actuating member, a record on said slide, a stationary stylus operating onsaid record and means for shitting said record laterally in its reciprocation.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROBERT M. GETOHELL. 

